| |
GB2RS > NEWS 26.04.07 23:10l 383 Lines 12627 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : GB2RS290407A
Read: GUEST
Subj: MAIN NEWS - 29 Apr 07 1/11
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0ROF<DB0ACH<DB0MKA<DB0LJ<DB0RES<DB0GOS<ON0AR<
GB7CIP<GB7COV<GB7COV<GB2RS
Sent: 070426/2039Z @:GB2RS.GB7COV.#29.GBR.EU
From: GB2RS@GB7COV.#29.GBR.EU
To : NEWS@WW
* RSGB AGM this weekend
* International Marconi Day - 28 April
* Radio ham saves sailors
* ISS crew connects with schools
* FCC petitioned to restore Morse tests
* N8S DXpedition makes 117,205 QSOs
* Four CubeSats launched successfully
* Lottery award to Renfrew ARS
* GB400AA celebrating the founding of Jamestown
* IARU Region 1 EmCom Party on the Air
* Ofcom put online licensing helpsheet on the web
* Amateur Radio Full Licensees - Special Research Permits
* RSGB & IARU Respond to 10GHz Auction
* Rallies and Events
* Special Event News
RSGB AGM this weekend
.
On Saturday 28 April the 80th RSGB AGM takes place at The National
Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh.
Following the AGM a celebratory dinner will be held in the nearby
Paramount Carlton hotel. Details of the AGM are on the RSGB website.
The Lothians Radio Society will be providing talk-in from 10am to 11.45
on channel V44, 145.550MHz FM. They will also be operating an AM talk-in
service on 144.550 MHz.
Car parking restrictions are enthusiastically enforced in the vicinity of
the AGM venue and you are advised to contact the talk-in stations for
guidance on where to park.
International Marconi Day - 28 April
.
International Marconi Day takes place this year on Saturday 28 April.
IMD celebrates the birth of Guglielmo Marconi on 25 April 1874.
The Cornish Amateur Radio Club, who organise IMD, offer award
certificates for working IMD special event stations, many of which were
listed on page 97 of the April RadCom.
More information on International Marconi Day can be found at
http://www.gb4imd.org.uk/.
Radio ham saves sailors
.
An amateur radio operator from Comboyne in Australia answered the calls
of two sailors battling treacherous five-meter seas in the Pacific Ocean
during Good Friday.
Harold Ralston, 62, has been a radio ham for 30 years and was working in
his shed when he heard the cries for help.
Sailors Bob Wilson and Mike Ross struck rough seas 75 nautical miles
south east of Port Macquarie.
Then were left drifting helplessly when the propeller on the 14m long
vessel, Maniunda broke.
With no power, no steering and battling against 40 knot winds they were
unable to pick up English speaking radio operators. However as Ralston
was 600m above sea level he had a greater range. He was 200km away and
kept in touch and alerted the rescue authorities.
ISS crew connects with schools
.
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, ARISS, program has
had a very busy and successful April.
This month, amateur radio has made it possible for youngsters at nine
schools in the US, the Netherlands, Australia, Hungary and Russia to
speak with the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS.
On 12 April, students at three schools got the chance to talk with those
aboard the ISS. Two ARISS school contacts were made on 17 April and
brought the total to 286 since the first ISS crew came aboard in November
2000
ARISS International Secretary Rosalie White, K1STO, commented that it was
a very ambitious schedule for the dedicated team of volunteers. She noted
that civilian space traveler Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK, has been
spending some of his precious time in space on the air.
Further ARISS contacts are planned for 5 May at around 10.24 and 13.34.
The ISS audio, on 145.800MHz FM, should be audible across Europe. The
contact will also be relayed via Echolink.
FCC petitioned to restore Morse tests
The American communications regulator, the FCC, has received petitions to
reverse its recent decision to drop the Morse requirement from amateur
radio licences.
Petitioner Anthony R. Gordon, KG6EQM, of West Covina, California,
contends that significant national security implications require that the
FCC take another look at the issue.
N8S DXpedition makes 117,205 QSOs
The Swains Island N8S DXpedition team made 117,205 QSOs.
This represents the fourth highest all-time DXpedition contact total.
After shutting down on April 15, the crew made it back to American Samoa
late the following day and soon will begin the operation from Samoa as
5W8AA.
The first N8S QSL cards will be available in about a month. YT1AD will
handle cards for N8S.
Four CubeSats launched successfully
Four CubeSats containing payloads operating on amateur radio frequencies
were among several spacecraft launched successfully on 17 April from
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
The rocket deployed seven CubeSats plus seven other satellites from
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine into Earth orbit, and signals from the
four CubeSats have been copied on Earth.
Among the spacecraft was Colombia's first satellite.
Lottery award to Renfrew ARS
The Renfrew Amateur Radio Society has received a £3000 award from the All
Scotland National Lottery Grant.
They are planning to buy two new HF transceivers and two aerials for
their special event day, the 100 year scout celebration, Scotland.
It is due to take place between 25 and 27 May.
GB400AA celebrating the founding of Jamestown
.
Three clubs in East Anglia, Clacton Radio Club, Felixstowe and District
Amateur Radio Club and Harwich Amateur Radio Interest Group have joined
forces to operate the GB400AA special event station.
The station will commemorate the founding of Jamestown, Virginia 400
years ago when the ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery arrived
in Virginia. They had 102 passengers and found the first English speaking
settlement in North America.
GB400AA will be operated at the Mayflower Museum on the Halfpenny Pier at
Harwich where the Harwich Society will have an exhibition showing the
local area's connections with the inaugural voyages.
The station is planned to operate on 11 to 13 May and 25 to 26 May.
IARU Region 1 EmCom Party on the Air
.
IARU Region 1 invites HQ stations of its member societies and stations of
special emergency communication groups to participate in the second EmCom
Party On The Air on May 5 at 11.00 to 15.00.
The operation will occur on the emergency centre of activity frequencies
on 40, 20 and 15 meters. The exercise will test how usable these
frequencies are across Region 1. It will also increase interest and find
best practice for emergency communications between emergency groups such
as RAYNET. It is emphasised that this is not a contest but an emergency
communications exercise.
The aim for participants is to contact IARU Region 1 HQ station OF3F in
Finland and also as many other national HQ and emergency communication
group stations as possible using SSB.
More information on the UK involvement in this exercise can be obtained
from the RAYNET HF Team website at www.raynet-hf.net.
.
Ofcom put online licensing helpsheet on the web
.
Following the introduction of the Lifetime Licence and online licensing
system in December 2006, Ofcom have recently made available a guide on
how to use their online system.
The comprehensive document, which runs to fifteen pages, is presented as
a pdf file and has step-by-step instructions on how to use all the online
features. It includes specific instructions on the areas of the system
which have caused particular confusion to users, such as the need to
edit' your details to force the system to generate your licence.
The document, entitled "User Guide for Amateur Radio Applicants", can be
downloaded from the Help and Guidance section of the Ofcom web site at
www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing/olc/guidance/.
Amateur Radio Full Licensees - Special Research Permits
in the region of 501 kHz
.
Ofcom has decided to permit a limited number of Amateur Radio Full
licensees to operate under a Special Research Permit between 501 and 504
kHz for a 12 month period commencing from 1 March 2007.
This follows representations made by the Radio Society of Great Britain
and negotiations with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Special Research Permits under a Notice of Variation to the Licence may
be made available to holders of Full Amateur Licences on a case by case
basis to applicants who can demonstrate a genuine interest in
experimentation at these frequencies and provide adequate supporting
documentation for assessment.
Due to the usage of the spectrum around 500 kHz, applicants should pay
special attention to demonstrating technical and operational competence
in terms of transmitting within the frequency and Effective Radiated
Power (e.r.p.) parameters agreed with Ofcom. Previous experience at 73
kHz as well as 136 kHz will be considered desirable in this respect to
ensure adequate steps are taken to limit any potential interference.
Ofcom will monitor any interference reports with a view to limiting
numbers in the use of the band if necessary. In general, considerably
lower e.r.p. levels than that permitted in the 136 kHz band are likely to
be favourable and this will only be permitted where it can be
demonstrated that increased powers are necessary for research. On no
account will an e.r.p. level of greater than - 10 dBW be permitted
under any circumstance.
The standard application form (OfW306) for a Special Research Permit can
be downloaded at:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/amateur/applicatio
ns/ofw306.pdf
Form OfW306 is also available on request from the Ofcom Licensing Centre
at:
Ofcom Licensing Centre
Amateur Radio
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA
Tel: 020 7981 3131
You can also find more information on the RSGB Spectrum Forum website at:
http://www.rsgb-spectrumforum.org.uk/mf.htm
RSGB & IARU Respond to 10GHz Auction
.
RSGB and IARU Region-1 are continuing their defence of the 10GHz band.
Their responses to the latest Ofcom consultation on the Spectrum auction
can be found on the Ofcom website at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/10-40GHz/responses/.
The RSGB & IARU responses are the second formal submission on this topic
and continues the joint effort in conjunction with affiliated societies
including AMSAT-UK, the UK Microwave Group and the British Amateur
Television Group BATC. Ofcom plans would have potentially serious
consequences for innovative developments by the Amateur Satellite Service.
Rallies and Events
On Sunday 29 April the Radio-Active Show takes place from 10am at the
Civic Hall, Nantwich. The show will be opened by RSGB President Angus
Annan.
On Sunday 29 April a Surplus Electronic And Electrical Sale will take
place from 10.30 at Aldridge and Barr Beacon Radio Club, Aldridge
Community Centre, Anchor Meadow, Middlemoor Lane, Aldridgre.
On Sunday 6 May the DAMBUSTERS HAMFEST takes place from 10.30 at Thorpe
Camp Museum, Coninsby. Details form Tony, G3ZPU, on 01507 527835.
Special Event News
From 25 May to 6 June, Mike Bryant, GW6NLP and Colin Kenton, MW0JNI, will
be running a special event station GB100TT in association with Scarlett
Point amateur radio society, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the TT
races. It will be based at Scarlett Point Tower in Castletown. For more
information log onto www.qsl.net/wars or www.scarlettpoint.com.
Special event station ON50EU is active until 31 December to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
Look for special event station OX60AD to be on air throughout April to
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US Air Force and the 56th
anniversary of the Defence Treaty between the US and Denmark for the
Protection of Greenland. Activity will be on 40, 20, 17, 15 and 10m using
CW, SSB and RTTY.
The Flight Refuelling ARS is operating special event station GB2FRA until
4 May to commemorate its 25th anniversary. Activity will be on HF, VHF
and UHF using CW, SSB and FM.
Special station EV5IPY is on the air to celebrate the participation of
Belarus in the 4th International Polar Year. Operations are conducted
under the aegis of the newly born Department of Polar Researches at the
Belorussian Geographic Society.
Special callsign HF40PAZ will be aired until 30 April and again on 1 to
30 September to celebrate the 40th anniversary of club station SP6PAZ.
The Letchworth and Baldock District Scouts, Cubs and Beavers will be
operating G0LBS from 9am - 6pm at their Centenary Camp between 4th and
7th May 2007. Operation will be on 20, 40, 80, 160m and 2m.
.
---------------------------------------
This news item was prepared by the Radio Society of Great Britain
and was downloaded from http://www.rsgb.org, converted from HTML
to plain text and uploaded at GB7COV.#29.GBR.EU by G3ZFR.
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
